What is the difference between a carpet and a rug? I tend to think of a carpet as covering more space than a rug.But the dictionaries give them as synonyms.From a story I'm reading: Instead of the luxurious apartment I had prepared myself to behold, a plain, scantily-furnished room opened before me, of a nature between a library and a studio. There was not even a carpet on the polished floor, only a rug.....,

If a carpet goes from wall to wall, why would anybody talk about wall-to-wall carpeting? Or an area rug? (I.e., if it only covers an area anyway?) Also, there used to be talk about a flying carpet, not a flying rug. You get called onto the carpet, but have the rug pulled out from younder yourself. Carpet is from Latin/Italian and rug is from Scandinavian.

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